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Budget sharks lurk in swim team’s future
By STEVE PENNThe Kansas City Star
Lap after lap, members of the Kansas City Storm swim team glide across the glistening water under the keen eye of their coach, Leonard Horne.
And when they’re busy training and competing at a high level, I’d dare anyone, especially a bean counter, to go up to them and tell them that what they’re doing is a waste. But on Monday, that’s essentially the message that was sent.
Remember the movie “Pride,” the flick about the urban swim team led by a charismatic coach who inspires swimmers to overachieve? Well, our city has its own version. Call it “Saving the Kansas City Storm.”
Right now the tale, as written, doesn’t have a happy ending.
Last week, as Horne was busy taking his team through its paces before a big swim meet held this past weekend in Wichita, bean counters already were earmarking the program for a cut.
The Kansas City Storm swim team is anchored by its star, Derrion Thomas, the 17-year- old son of the late Kansas City Chief Derrick Thomas. In the water, Horne’s swimmers are floating to victory. Outside the pool, Horne is struggling to keep the team financially afloat.
On Monday, the Kansas City Storm became a casualty of the city’s budget ax. The city funding that pays Horne’s coaching salary was cut.
“I was told that I was officially cut off the payroll,” Horne said Monday. “They said we could continue practicing at Central High.”
Horne had been aware for some time that city support for the swim team was in jeopardy. His $28,000 a year salary to coach the team is paid through the city’s Parks and Recreation Department budget.
“They told me that the parks department’s budget is strained,” Horne said. “But I didn’t know we were a budget-buster.”
The budget crunch had hit the team even before Monday. Horne recently was forced to let an assistant coach and his $12,000 a year salary go due to the budget cuts.
“They said they don’t have the money, and the aquatics program doesn’t have the numbers to justify the funding,” Horne said. “But what I’m responsible for is very productive. We have kids in colleges all across the country. We should be considered an asset rather than a deficit.”
This season, Horne has a total of 30 registered swimmers, 21 who are active and 15 who regularly compete. This past weekend, the team participated in the Missouri Valley Division I short course swim championships in Wichita. Derrion had the team’s best performance, medaling by placing sixth in the 50-yard freestyle.
Danielle Randle, 14, the team’s outstanding female swimmer, also had a credible showing but did not medal.
“What I did over the weekend was essentially volunteer,” Horne said. “I was told there’s no money to pay me for that.”
Mark Bowland, central region manager for the Kansas City Parks and Recreation Department, feels strongly about the swim team.
“If we can’t resurrect and keep that program afloat literally and figuratively, we truly have missed the mark in the minority community,” Bowland said.
But Bowland reiterated the cold, hard facts.
“We’re looking at closing down community centers and/or other water features too,” Bowland said. “But I don’t believe that shutting that program down is acceptable.”
Private funding, like that which emerged recently to keep the Mayor’s Night Hoops program going, may be the program’s best hope.
Even without city funding, Horne vows to keep the Kansas City Storm in the water and in swim meets. Practices will be held as usual.
“By hook or crook, we’ll find a way to continue to exist,” Horne said.
This puts a face on these budget cuts. And its not a happy face.
Maybe I’m wrong. But Kansas City has a history of coming to the aid of young people who are doing the right thing. And it’s hard to conceive that someone here wouldn’t cast a lifeline to Horne and his group of young people who are bringing pride to Kansas City in and out of the water.